The Aki Sisters' Grand Autumn Plan!
by Emerald-Sekai
Summary: A follow-up story to Chitose no Kamikakushi. Chitose is called to the Aki Shrine one night after finishing her work in the village... what could the goddesses want from her?


[[ This story takes place roughly a year and a half after Chitose no Kamikakushi. It is intended to be a follow-up to that story; please read that one first, as most of this assumes that you have read it already. If you don't, you are unlikely to know who some of the characters are, especially if you are not familiar with the Touhou games. ]]

Shizuha Aki sighed softly as she sat perched atop her shrine's gate. As she gazed at the sky above, watching the last of the afternoon's stormclouds clear away, she smiled lightly as she felt the chilly autumn wind flowing past and around her. To most people, the wind was frigid. It carried signs with it- people knew to put on coats and use heavy blankets at night, animals began to seek shelter, farmers knew that nights would soon bring frost and that the harvest must come soon or risk losing their crop. Below the mountain where Shizuka's shrine sat, past the great forest that cut across Gensokyo, a young miko began searching for her favorite kototsu, loud yells echoing through the trees as she discovered her shrine's resident oni already snoring beneath it. Deep within that forest, a youthful white-haired maid began making plans for getting in the winter supplies the mansion needed, knowing that as always, her mistress would trust in her dutiful head maid to make the preparations and know that she would not need to do a thing to ensure readiness. In the middle of the lake before that mansion, a playful ice fairy felt the chilly breeze and knew one of her dearest friends would soon be able to awaken and see her again. And deep within the bamboo forests to the north, an ageless girl lay on the floor of her home and sighed, passively awaiting the return of a winter and nights that would freeze her to the bone and yet still not claim her life.

To Shizuha, though, the wind bore quite another message entirely. The autumn goddess reveled at the touch of frost in the wind blowing past her, turning her cheek to catch the cold breath. To her, autumn was not a waning of the year, a period of warning for people to prepare for (or look forward to) winter, as so many others who felt the season beginning seemed to feel. To Shizuha and her sister, autumn was a time to revel, to take joy in the raucous colors of the falling leaves, the lovely sound of dead brown leaves crunching underfoot, to see the harvest being brought in and the humans rejoicing in the first great feast of the year.

This autumn, especially, was particularly special to the goddess. The harvest was special, Shizuha was planning a special display of autumn colors (her personal domain), the year was special (in that for once there hadn't been a single incident), and there was one last special plan the two were planning to put into action...

"If she would only get here!" Shizuha huffed aloud, kicking her feet impatiently.

A voice rose up from around a bend in the path to the shrine in response. "Are you still waiting on me, Shizuha-sama? Sorry!"

Soon, a dim figure appeared around the bend, running lightly up towards the shrine. Shizuha smiled as the other girl floated up and seated herself on the gate beside her. "There you are, Chi..."

Chitose Izumo smiled back at the goddess. "Sorry, Shizuha-sama... I figured you and your sister would've just gone in to rest by now..."

Shizuha grinned lightly, looking at her. It had been over a year since the girl across from her had been spirited away to the realm of Gensokyo, and she'd clearly taken well to her new home. She was dressed in a kimono woven for her by a lunar inaba, wearing a tool belt bought from the half-youkai shopkeeper near the village, and at her side was a...

She blinked. "Oh... where's Sakan?" She tilted her head, wondering where the youkai Chitose had been raising for a year had gone.

Chitose blinked. "Oh... we bumped into Cirno on our way here, and she challenged us... I was already running late, so Sakan told me to go on ahead while he fought with her..." She smiled a bit. "He has a new spell card he wanted to try out anyway, so..."

Shizuha nodded. Combat in Gensokyo was settled by duels using a form of magic crystallized into non-lethal bullets, known as danmaku. Fighters used (mostly) pre-set patterns known as "spell cards", each side attempting to dodge through the other's card while using their own to fight back and try to defeat them. "So then..."

Chitose smiled right back. "So then. Why -does- the goddess of turning leaves want to see me so late at night, anyhow?"

Shizuha pouted a little. "It wouldn't have been late if you'd gotten here on time," she pointed out. "And anyway, can't I just want to talk with my shrine's lovely caretaker?"

Chitose smiled. "Flirt," she teased softly. "But, I'm more than wide awake..."

Shizuha nodded. "What took you so long, anyway?"

Chitose giggled. "Marisa crashed through the shrine roof again," she said, shaking her head. "With the rain coming on, Reimu was frantic to get someone to fix it... I ended up roped into helping out..."

Shizuha huffed. "Reimu works you too hard sometimes," she muttered. "She's such a jerk..."

Chitose rolled her eyes. "What, should I have left a gaping hole in her shrine's roof so everything inside gets wet?" She smiled. "So... what did you want to talk about, Shizuha-sama?"

Shizuha glanced away for a moment. "Well, it's just... you've been in Gensokyo for over a year now... you've been helping us a lot since then..." She pointed back behind her, the shrine clearly lovingly maintained even in the dim light of the moon. "I don't need to remind you what a mess our shrine used to be..."

Chitose nodded quietly. "Well, I couldn't just leave it like that... especially since you two don't have a shrine maiden to take care of the place..."

Shizuha nodded. "It's not just the repairs, though," she continued. "You've been doing a lot to support us in the village, too... even if some people don't like you because of Sakan, you're always visible around the village..." She paused, and grinned. "I hear you've been namedropping us a bit too..."

Chitose flushed, just a tiny bit. "It's not right that people should take you two for granted like they seem to," she pointed out. "I mean, it's why you two were out planting seeds last spring and the one before that, when I arrived..."

Shizuha giggled. "Yeah... and it's working, too. Between us trying to be more visible and you... unofficially spreading the word about us... we've been feeling a lot more faith..."

Chitose nodded. "Good!" She grinned, flashing Shizuha a V-sign. "You two should be recognized more. I mean, you do a lot for people..."

Shizuha paused. "... Well, when I say 'we', I mean more like my sis," she added, glancing down suddenly. "She's feeling better than she has in a long time... me, not so much."

Chitose slowly put an arm around the goddess' shoulders. "I know," she said quietly. "It's not that I haven't been trying, honest! But, well..."

Shizuha nodded, letting herself lean against Chitose. "But she's goddess of the harvest, and I just make leaves turn pretty colors..." she murmured.

Chitose blinked softly, her arm tightening around Shizuha. "Hey... don't be like that..."

Shizuha shook her head. "It's true and you know it..." Her words held a distinct hint of bitterness now.

Chitose nodded. "... Yeah... we humans aren't really the best beings to be drawing faith from..." She sighed. "The thing is, well... people love the harvest. Every year, they put a lot of work into planting and raising the seeds... the harvest feels like a reward from Minoriko-sama for taking such care and effort... and with her helping out, that feeling only gets stronger."

She paused. "Autumn leaves, though... plenty of people love them, but nobody really has to work for them. Seeing the leaves change in autumn isn't some sort of reward... it's just a part of nature... It happens every year, and we just sort of... take it for granted..."

Shizuha sighed softly. "... I know that," she whispered. "But don't think I don't like you guys just because of that..." She smiled, working an arm around Chitose's waist. "I mean, I've got you, Chi, and you definitely don't take turning leaves for granted..."

Chitose nodded. "And I really do want you to get more faith," she said softly. "It's just hard sometimes to get the others to realize that they should give it to you..." She tilted her head. "I think we're going to have to figure out a way to make you a little more visible on your own, not just helping out your sister..." She paused, thinking for a long moment.

Shizuha broke in quietly. "Well, I was planning a special display this year... I'm still getting a little bit of extra faith just having you be around me and helping with the shrine..." She smiled. "So I thought maybe I'd put a little of it to use..."

Chitose nodded. "Yeah! See, now you're thinking... maybe we could even hold some leaf-viewings..." She smiled. "I remember one American friend I used to have talking about his family going up to Vermont to see the leaves change... If they meet you, then see those leaves and understand that it's you coloring the trees so beautifully each year..."

Shizuha leaned against her quietly. "... yeah... it'd be nice..." she whispered softly, suddenly downcast. "... Chi? You're one of the most moral people I know... heck, you fix up shrines; even the good girl doesn't do that..."

Chitose blinked, shifting to hold Shizuha lightly. "C-c'mon... you and I both know Sanae's basically as pure as you get without literally becoming a saint..."

Shizuha managed a brief smile. "Yeah, but you're still pretty high up there... if you say something's right, I can trust it really is..." She shook her head. "... I'm jealous of my big sister... even more now that she's starting to really get known and build up faith beyond what just you're giving us..."

Chitose blinked, but said nothing. Shizuha leaned a little further against the girl. "I want to be remembered too... the way people are finally starting to remember my sister..." She shook her head.

Chitose smiled, tugging Shizuha into a gentle embrace. "And you want to know if that makes you a bad person?" She laughed softly. "Never heard of a goddess asking a human for advice about morality before..."

Shizuha pouted. "Chi, c'mon... don't tease..."

Chitose giggled. "Sorry... but, c'mon, Shizuha-sama... you're a goddess people have always taken for granted. Of course you'd be jealous of anyone managing to get more faith, older sister or otherwise." She shifted gently until the autumn goddess was seated lightly in her lap. "I mean, look at how you both reacted when you thought Kanako-sama wanted to try and win me to her shrine..."

Shizuha blushed slightly. It was true; the day they'd met, the sky goddess had joked about Chitose offering worship to her, and both sisters had rather vocally declared that Chitose was one of theirs. Chitose smiled and went on, "And besides, it's not like you aren't happy for her, right?"

Shizuha turned, eyes widening. "Ch-chi, don't say things like that," she stuttered, indignant. "Of course I'm happy for her... she's my sister, and I know just what it feels like to be a forgotten goddess..." She sighed a little. "I guess... I've just been thinking. Soon everyone in the village will be harvesting... probably very soon, by the feel of the wind... and when they think back, who're they really going to remember helping them out with planting and tending the crops?"

Chitose blinked. "Well... maybe... but wouldn't that have been the case last year?"

Shizuha rolled her eyes. "Not after that stunt your kappa friends pulled last summer... that whole incident drove the memory of us helping them clean out of the villagers' heads..."

Chitose blanched. The giant doll "Hisoutensoku" that the kappa of the mountains had built had touched off a whole series of misunderstandings at its unexpected unveiling. In the subsequent uproar and chaos, she wasn't surprised that people would have forgotten the harvest goddess and her sister helping to plant the crops earlier that spring. She just counted herself lucky that it wasn't widely known that she'd joined the project as an assistant engineer in the last stages of its completion.

Shizuha nodded. "... She's already getting stronger and better-known than me... and come harvest time, she's going to pull even further away..."

Chitose hugged her tighter. "There's nothing wrong with feeling left behind, Shizuha-sama," she said quietly. "But..."

Shizuha relaxed quietly in the human girl's arms. "But what?"

Chitose tensed a little. "I know it's going to be hard to change their minds, but I want to help you get faith again, Shizuha-sama," she whispered. "You've worked hard too... you deserve it as much as your sister does..."

Shizuha beamed, wiggling her way around until she could hug Chitose back, resting a little against the girl. "You're the best, Chi..." She fell silent for a moment, looking up into the girl's eyes. "I just wish I'd always be able to say that to you..."

Chitose winced, arms tightening on instinct around Shizuha. "... To be honest, I'd decided that soon after I decided I would stay here," she said softly. "I'm a human, and I'm going to stay that way... that's just how things are..."

Shizuha nodded, burying her face against Chitose's shoulder now. "I know, Chi... I respect your decision... but all the same, I still wish you could always be with us..."

Chitose nodded. "I know... it's been a long while since you two have had a follower like me..."

Shizuha blinked. "... follower? Chi, who cares about that? It's having you here to hug and talk to that I'm going to miss... I'm gonna miss _you_, Chi, not having a faithful follower..."

Chitose smiled, just a little. "I know, Shizuha-sama... and I'm sorry..." She held the goddess gently in her arms. "But long before you have to start missing me... I promise there's going to be something hanging around the shrine to keep you happy for years..." She giggled. "Even if I haven't found the right guy yet, one of these days I'm going to settle down in the village... start a family... My descendants are going to be coming to see you two for years to come."

Shizuha tensed. "... Chi, they won't be you... and don't you dare give up on girls just because you want a family..."

Chitose blinked. "Of course they won't be me. That's the whole point of humans... Each generation will bring new faces, new people... and they'll all be my descendants." She smiled. "I love you, Shizuha-sama. And Minoriko-sama too. And I'm going to raise my children so they know and love you too... just like they'll raise theirs..." She shook her head slowly. "I love you both. I'm not going to go away and leave you two wonderful goddesses alone."

Shizuha slowly lifted her head from Chitose's shoulder. "... Thanks, Chi," she said softly. "I feel a little better now..." She giggled, and kissed her cheek lightly. "Love you too," she added.

Chitose blushed, as she always did when either of the two sisters teased her. "Anyway," she said quickly. "That's years and years away... let's talk about more current stuff, huh?" She grinned, and poked Shizuha's nose. "Like maybe a way to get you some more recognition..."

Shizuha wiggled her nose, grinning back. "Like what?"

Chitose tilted her head. "Hm... well... How about we put on a festival of our own up here?" she suggested. "Reimu's isn't for a while, so she can't accuse us of trying to steal away followers..."

Shizuha rolled her eyes. "If she really wanted followers, she'd let you and Suika put in that hot spring," she murmured. "A festival, huh? Sounds like fun..."

Chitose nodded eagerly. "And since I'm always around the village, I can spread the word really quickly... then you could show them a display of what you can really do with a little bit of faith and care..."

Shizuha nodded. "Yeah! A festival on the harvest sounds great... and it's all the more reason, um..." She paused. "... Yikes, I almost gave it away..."

Chitose blinked. "Gave what away?"

Shizuha grinned. "Uh-uh, Chi... no spoiling the surprise..." She huffed. "I mean, I really want to, but big sis and I promised we were going to do this together... and she went to sleep..."

"If that's all that's stopping you, let's go ahead and tell her," a voice called gently from below.

Chitose smiled and floated down to the ground below, bowing deeply to the girl who had just emerged from the shrine. "Hello again, Minoriko-sama..."

Shizuha blinked, floating down lightly from the gate. "Sis, you're awake?"

Minoriko nodded, embracing Chitose gently. "We called you here for a rather special reason, Chitose... not just to talk," she said, her voice calm and warm as always. "Shizuha, would you go get it?"

As Shizuha vanished inside the shrine, Chitose looked quietly up at Minoriko, resting quietly in the goddess' arms. "What is it, Minoriko-sama...?"

Minoriko smiled. "Chitose... it's been a year and a half already since you first came to Gensokyo," she began. "And since then, you've been nothing but a help to us."

Chitose blinked. "I help everyone," she protested. "Besides, how could I leave a shrine so neglected?" She flashed a grin. "To say nothing of the two cute goddesses living there..."

Minoriko mirrored her grin. "Even if you felt it was your duty, or that you couldn't help but do it, you've made our shrine look beautiful. You've even been trying to gather just a little bit of faith for us down in the village... when you're not off fixing and building, that is."

Chitose nodded. "Well, yeah... like I told Shizuha-sama, I want to help you two..."

Minoriko beamed. "I know, Chitose. And we want to do something to thank you... and maybe make it just a little easier to help us out..."

Shizuha slid open the shrine door and emerged, holding something soft folded over her arm. "Ta-da!" she called out, beaming.

Chitose blinked, moving to take the folded garments from Shizuha. As she unfolded them, she stared in disbelief. "... This is... for me? Really?" she whispered.

Minoriko nodded. "It is."

Chitose stared down at the pure white kimono in her arms, the familiar pleated hakama laid beneath it. "But... Minoriko-sama, Shizuha-sama... this is a shrine maiden's uniform... I'm not a miko..."

Shizuha blinked. "And why not?"

Minoriko smiled softly. "Chitose, the Aki shrine hasn't had a miko in centuries. We've always depended on forming a strong connection with the people of the village. They remember us, and we in turn use the faith we gain from them to better their autumn each year."

Shizuha nodded. "This is why we really wanted to talk to you, Chi," she said softly. "We both want you to be our miko."

Chitose looked up at the two goddesses, dumbfounded. "Me...? A miko?" She shook her head. "... I know I mean a lot to you two, but... please, don't tease me like this... there's no way I can be a miko..."

Shizuha blinked. "What're you talking about, Chi?"

Chitose shook her head again. "I'm touched, really... but I'm not the sort of person who can become a miko. I mean... I'm a college student, from another world entirely... I've never been taught any of the things a miko needs to do, like Reimu or Sanae... and I'm not some sort of amazingly pure person..."

Shizuha huffed and crossed her arms, but Minoriko just clasped her hands before her and smiled. Chitose blinked. "Chitose," Minoriko began, "Think about what you do for our shrine already."

Chitose blinked. "Huh? I fixed it up a few times, since nobody had been caring for it for a long time... and I come work on it sometimes when I'm not too busy in the village, so it won't end up that way again..."

Minoriko smiled. "In other words, you care about and care for our shrine. Isn't that right?"

Chitose tilted her head. "Yeah, but I do the same thing for Reimu's shrine too... I even help out sometimes at Byakuren's temple..."

Shizuha pouted. "But this is the shrine you really care about and give faith to. Right?"

Chitose blinked at her. "Well, of course it is..." she said. "The rest, it's just my job... well... I wouldn't _want_ to leave a gaping hole in Reimu's roof unfixed, it's a shrine after all, but..."

Minoriko reached out and patted her shoulder softly. "Trust me, Chitose, it is," she said quietly. "Shizuha and I can both feel the faith and care you've given our shrine ever since you first laid eyes on it..."

Chitose blinked. "But that's not really different from what I always did in the outside world anyway... and anyway, there's a world of difference between a caretaker and a shrine maiden..."

Minoriko smiled, both hands resting on her shoulders now. "Chitose. You take care of our shrine, don't you?"

Chitose stared. "Well, yes, but..."

Minoriko continued over her. "And you care for us? You care about us, and this shrine?"

Chitose shook her head. "Of course..."

Minoriko smiled. "And you've been trying to spread faith, right? You'd tell visitors about us and show them the shrine if they came, wouldn't you?"

Chitose blinked. "Why on earth wouldn't I?"

Minoriko embraced the girl quietly against her. "Then you are a miko already," she said quietly. "This is just us recognizing that."

Chitose looked up at her. "But... I don't know any of the things a miko has to do..."

Minoriko laughed gently. "Yes you do. You care about our shrine, and about the two goddesses that inhabit it. You've taken care of both of us, and the shrine as well... which means you know the most important part already..."

Shizuha giggled. "Not to mention helping out with festivals..." she teased gently.

Chitose turned to look at the younger sibling. "Oh, is this what you were talking about before?" she asked, tilting her head. "When you said that a festival was a good idea..."

Shizuha grinned and stepped closer. "Especially considering that we were hopefully going to have a new miko... you'd be just in time, after all..."

Chitose beamed, and embraced the younger goddess happily, leaning back against Minoriko. "You two are gonna insist, aren't you?" she teased.

Minoriko beamed. "Have you ever known me not to?" she teased right back.

Shizuha grinned. "Don't be worried just 'cause you don't know how to do things like omikuji yet," she added. "I mean, if anything, Sanae's been a miko her whole life, I'm sure she'll teach you anything you think you need to know..."

Chitose nodded, slipping carefully out of the embrace. As she did, she looked down at the outfit in her arms, holding it close. "Well then. If two cute, sweet goddesses ask this of me, how can I not accept?" she asked, beaming at them both.

Minoriko smiled. "How indeed?" She motioned to the shrine. "Now then, you should hurry and get changed... Hatate will be along any minute..."

Chitose blinked. "Hatate? Why's she coming here?"

Minoriko laughed behind her hand. "A new miko is big news, after all. And Hatate is a reporter."

Chitose grinned, and dashed inside the shrine. "Letting her get to the scoop before Aya for once, huh?" she asked, before shutting the door tightly.

Minoriko smiled. "She's the one who led you here the first time you visited the shrine," she pointed out. "I thought she'd be perfect to announce our new miko... and the festival the two of us will be holding on the equinox..."

Shizuha blinked a little as her sister suddenly took her hand. "I heard what you said to Chitose," Minoriko whispered softly. "You're right... I've gotten caught up in the rush and almost ended up leaving you behind..." She smiled. "This will be _our_ festival, sis."

Shizuha embraced her sister softly, sniffling a little. "So make sure to put on your best display of fall colors, all right?" Minoriko murmured softly.

Chitose smiled inside the shrine. "... Y'know, I gave Hatate an interview that same day... so she's paid back, and I know she'd agree with me. So what's the real reason?"

Minoriko laughed. "Well, _we_ haven't paid her back yet, now have we?" she pointed out.

Chitose smirked. "... It's because Aya wrote that article implying we were in a threesome, isn't it?" she called. "I mean, here I am, changing inside the shrine itself... try and tell me Aya wouldn't leap to conclusions like she always does and take this little scene as definitive proof that we're together."

"You guys are a threesome?" A familiar tengu girl descended from above, her phone-like camera at the ready. "... just kidding. But yeah, Aya... probably would."

Minoriko smiled. "Hatate... you're a bit early, as it happens... seems our dear Chitose was delayed on the road..."

Chitose slid open the door a fraction and peeked out. "Aya's only real problem is that she listens to whatever her instincts tell her instead of the facts. Like in that one book... uh... what was its name..." She shook her head. "Sanae'd know. It's an outside world thing. Series of four books that revolved around some other book with 'don't panic' stamped on the cover..."

Minoriko rolled her eyes. "Finish changing before you defend your tengu friend," she said lightly.

Hatate shrugged. "A reporter needs to know the facts," she said. "It's why I'm here. You can't just rush on ahead and say any old thing that comes to mind... especially if the facts tell you the exact opposite..." She smiled. "So what's this all about, anyway? You two see my article on Miss Okuu and decide you wanted me to photograph your danmaku too?"

Minoriko shook her head, smiling as the door opened fully. "I'm afraid we don't have enough faith to really measure up to the girls you took on just yet," she said. "She's the real reason..."

Hatate's eyes widened as Chitose stepped out of the shrine, carefully moving down the path towards her. The tengu began to quickly snap pictures, taking in the girl before her. The hakama, fully unfolded and worn, was revealed to be a deep orange at the waist, but quickly brightened and shaded all the way down until it was a golden yellow at the very hem. A simple hair ornament had been folded inside the kimono, and Chitose now wore it in her hair, a simple straw-colored barrette in the shape of a pair of crossed wheat-ears.

Hatate whistled, looking to the two. "You guys are finally getting your own miko, huh?" she asked.

Chitose nodded, bowing deeply. "Yeah..." she said softly. "I just accepted it... I'm the miko of Aki Shrine now."

Hatate nodded, glancing at the girl's shoulder. "... Breaking tradition a little though, aren't you?"

Chitose chuckled. Both Reimu and Sanae had modified the kimonos of their uniforms to have detached sleeves, showing their shoulders quite nicely (and spawning numerous jokes along the way), but her own garment was a single continuous piece, the sleeves attached like on a normal kimono. "These two made it, not me," she teased. "Though it's the way I'd prefer it anyway..."

Shizuha grinned. "Actually, we got Rinnosuke to make it..."

Hatate tilted her head. "The half-youkai shopkeep, eh? I'd better drop by Kourindou when I'm done here, get that extra angle..."

Chitose rolled her eyes. "If he's awake, that is. It's pretty late..." She tilted her head. "Sakan's probably waiting at home for me by now... hope he's not worried..."

Minoriko smiled. "I'd like for you to spend the night here anyway, Chitose," she said softly. "Why don't you call him up here instead, so he doesn't worry about his big sister?"

Chitose nodded, turning away as a heavy grimoire floated out of the shrine to her. As she opened the book and started to speak quietly into it, a magic circle flaring on each page, Hatate smiled. "So, that's the scoop, huh? A new shrine maiden... well, that's more than enough for a good story..."

Chitose closed the book and smiled. "There's a little more, actually," she said. "Wanna hear more about it?" She grinned. "I owe you an interview to go with all those pictures anyway..."

Hatate smiled. "Sure," she said. "Shall we?"

Minoriko bowed lightly. "You have permission to enter..." She glanced over to Shizuha. "And you?"

Shizuha bowed as well. "Course you do," she said. "We invited you here, and Chitose's our miko... come on in, we'll give you a scoop that'll rock the whole village..."

Hatate grinned and followed the two goddesses inside, already talking with them and writing down notes frantically. Chitose lingered just long enough to catch and hug Sakan as he came flying up, and then turned and followed the others inside, entering what she could truly now, for the first of many, many times, call her shrine.

Author's Notes: Well, it's been three months now since I finished posting Chitose's story... I remain utterly blown away by the fact that people actually wanted a sequel. I have one in the works, actually, although no guarantees on when it'll be ready for posting, as well as a silly idea rattling around in my head involving Touhou Soccer/Inazuma Eleven, but I wanted to at least have this follow-up in the meantime. Think of it as the epilogue to the first story's epilogue. Chi's settling in, there's hints and indications on how her future will go... even a hint at a romance I'm personally fond of... but hesitate to do much with because shipping OCs with canon characters is generally frowned on as the recipe for disaster is almost always is.

I also wanted to touch on the problem of Chitose being, well, human... mostly because you can't really do a serious story where some of the characters are immortal and others are very much mortal and not ever have the subject come up. Fans generally are of the consensus that, for example, Marisa is going to become a youkai magician (or already has done so) and thus will be immortal. Mostly so that she can go have eternal snuggles with Alice, because Marisa/Alice is adorable. And Reimu, frankly, I couldn't see either having herself a kid or leaving the shrine without a Hakurei... which pretty much necessitates her becoming a Celestial (not like any shinigami in existence could win a straight-up fight against Ms. Hax Sign) and, again, existing eternally. Chitose, on the other hand... She's a magician, yes, but not exceptionally powerful like Marisa or Patchouli. She might certainly one day amass the power to cross over into youkai, or to fight off her shinigami, but in the end, she's decided not to. For many reasons.

I don't especially like dealing with hugely melancholy subjects. (Chi He says, while preparing to have me run smack dab into Parsee in the next story.) But this is an important one to me, and one I've given a lot of thought to. This is what I've concluded her decision would be, and I wanted to at the very least allude to that here. Briefly, because it'd ruin the tone of the piece to dwell on it, but I felt it important to establish.

On a related note, I really wanted to focus this piece on Chitose and the two sisters, so I came up with a reason and kept Sakan out of it. He lost the duel, by the way. Cirno is serious business post-'soku, and Sakan's unlikely to be much higher than midboss-level for years to come.

A few miscellaneous things... Firstly, the specific characters alluded to in the opening section are Reimu (raging at Suika), Sakuya, Cirno (thinking of Letty), and Mokou, respectively. Marisa crashing through the shrine's roof while riding her broom is an extension of the running gag that Reimu's shrine is almost constantly getting wrecked; yes, it is a common occurrence, at least how I envision it. Sanae being a "good girl" is a meme spawned by a doujinshi comic. From what I understand, she got raging drunk and ended up sobbing in Kanako's lap, while the latter reassured her that she really is a good girl. And of course the outside world book Chitose is talking about is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Why does she allude to only four books? Because I -hate- Mostly Harmless and thus have charitably allowed her to be unaware that it exists. Also she left the outside world before Eoin Colfer ghostwrote book six.

In any case... as I said, I am very much back. The proper sequel to Chitose no Kamikakushi is in the planning stages, I have a Fatal Frame-inspired story on the back burner but about 2/3 complete, and there may be other stuff from me in the future. (Sora Now if only we could make him get around to writing Segment 4, eh?) So look forward to it!


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